Page 25 of The Defense Rests
Setting my things on the cabinet, I sit in my plush desk chair and take a long pull from my thermos. My mood brightens as the caffeine filters through my veins. I’m a doctor, of course I know that’s not how coffee works.
Packed schedule.
That's a good thing. I was worried that, as word spread about the lawsuit, I'd lose patients. So far, my schedule isn't affected. But I still worry. It’s been over a year.
"Good morning, doc." I glance up to see my assistant, Brianna, smiling from the doorway. "Ready for me to bring back our first patient?"
"Good morning to you, too." I take another sip of coffee before responding. "Yep. Let's stay on top of it today. Rachel said it was a packed day for us.
Brianna taps her hand on the door, and I hear her talking to our patient as they come down the hallway. I stand to slip on my lab coat.
Let's do this.
…
I let out a deep sigh as I sit down in my desk chair to chart some notes. It feels good to be off my feet for a few minutes, since my last patient rescheduled.
Rachel wasn't kidding; it was a packed schedule today with only two patients left. I click on the screen and pull up Heather's file. I've been over it a million times. There has to be something I missed in my notes.
Walking down the hall to refill my coffee cup, Brianna comes out of an exam room laughing while jotting notes in a patient file. "What's got you giggling like a schoolgirl?" I inquire jovially.
"Mrs. Anderson, again. I swear she can turn my day around just by the stories she tells me about her grandchildren."
"Oh? Who was it this time?" I knew all of them by name, since I had heard all the stories too.
"Thomas. She said that he was, and I quote, having sexual relations with his pregnant wife when he felt the baby kick. It freaked him out because he didn't want the baby to kick his penis while he was balls deep." Brianna was in a fit of giggles again. "I mean, seriously? I love Mrs. Anderson, and I never expected her to say 'balls deep.'"
"You're not writing that in her chart, are you?" I shake my head. Brianna is a fantastic assistant. She holds an LVN license, and I've been trying to encourage her to return to school to earn her RN, but she's not interested. She loves the simple life.
"You bet I am. You know I take thorough notes. It helps me when I check in patients so I can build better relationships with them and put them at ease when they visit."
I check my watch, and I have about five minutes before I need to see Mrs. Anderson. My coffee can wait until after I see her. It's just a followup.
I grab the chart from Brianna and make my way into the room.
"So, Mrs. Anderson. I heard that Thomas needs some courses on sex ed." I tease while making myself comfortable on the stool.
Mrs. Anderson retells the story for me, and I hide my laughter behind the brim of my almost empty coffee cup. I don't dare try to take a sip for fear of wearing my coffee instead of tasting it. The story changed slightly from what Brianna said, but the gist of it is the same.
After her followup, I walk her to the waiting room as I do with all my patients. She puts her hand on my arm and offers me a little squeeze. "I don't know what that woman has against you, but none of your patients believe a word she says. If you ask me, she's just looking for a free handout." Mrs. Anderson wrinkles her nose in disgust. I don’t even need to ask who she is referencing.
"Thank you. I appreciate your faith in me."
"You have a wonderful evening, doc."
"You too." I offer her a smile, and she exits through the door I'm holding open. As she walks through, my heart skips a beat at the vision sitting in the waiting room.
"Kai? What…what are you doing here?" I ask with a cocked brow.
"I told him you were with a patient, and he was happy to wait. I hope that's okay," Rachel tells me.
"Of course. Thank you, Rachel."
He offers me a broad smile and stands. "I found something and I wanted to talk to you about it. It might be nothing, but I think it's worth looking into. I could use your medical advice."
"Of course. That was my last patient. Let's go to my office." Closing the door behind us, Kai turns and holds his arms out. I immediately step into them. He offers me a reassuring squeeze, and it might have melted some of my stress away. I love that he gives me that release.
"I wanted to get that out of the way so we could focus," he says shyly.
